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Who can see the wind? Asks the thoughtful nineteenth century poet, Christina Rossetti. And she continues to explain when the trees bow down their heads the wind is passing by. When fifty mile an hour gust pushed my car over the yellow center line on the open stretch of US 182 the wind just wasn't passing by. No doubt about it. I couldn't see it but I was well aware of its presence. Wind is considered in many ways. For instance, when it came to washing a mountain down to the sea Bob Dylan figured the answer was blowing in the wind. Nice melody along with the questionable philosophy. Did he care that he couldn't see the wind or the mountain? In the English sea shanty about a walloping window blind a randy captain showed contempt for the wildest blow-ow-ow when he boldly declared no wind that blew dismayed the crew. That was a drinking song just for fun. But winds often brought fortune in spite of the hardships heaped on sailors. The clipper ships run out to sea a-whaling for to go and the wind comes on to blow, making half the watch sick on deck and the other half below. The unhappy sailors blame the rocking ship for upchucking when the unseen wind is what does them in. And the working crew best be singing blow ye winds in the morning and blow ye winds heigh-ho while they make a fortune whaling-o. Those crews sailed back to port and drank to damn the blubber-whaling. Out of all those wind blown minds came a realization that wind had power. And if there was money in it, by golly, somebody would make it work. Then came the engineers with math and designs to figure out how to put Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison's electricity to use. Put generations of candle makers out of work is what they did. We have windmills up and down the hills. What about individual windmills like the farmers used for pumping water to their range cattle all over the country? Too big for my city lot. Researchers in Hong Kong developed a micro-wind turbine technology small enough for private use in rural and urban environments. That company's micro-wind turbines are light, a compact 25cm rotor diameter, and can generate power with wind speeds as low as 2 meters/second. Wow, that's a slow unseen wind, huh? And what's more, the gear-like turbines can be linked to fit just about anywhere. A row of eight turbines costs just $150, now being sold worldwide. A twelve-foot 10 kW Bergey Excel wind turbine has three fan type blades to catch the wind. The company has installations in fifty states and more than a hundred countries. The internet has a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote wind energy and energy efficiency. So there you have it even though you can't see it. Complain when it blows dirt in your eyes. Sigh with content when it dries the sweat from your skin. Wonder over the amazing thing that you cannot see but touches you, and in turn sooths or annoys according to the time, the place and the circumstance. |